Today, Brittany and Aleen are joined by perinatal psychiatrist Dr. Pooja Lakshmin to talk about anxiety and depression during pregnancy and motherhood. They explain what exactly a perinatal therapist does, how Dr. Lakshmin got into the field, and what she does in her work with moms. They discuss postpartum anxiety and depression, just how common they really are, and what your options may be for treatment. They also explain how normal it is to experience intrusive thoughts once the baby has arrived. Dr. Lakshmin tells us about the “triple threat” of mom guilt, martyr-mode, and perfectionism, and shares some practical tips for dealing with these feelings. Finally, they talk about the pitfalls of maternal gatekeeping, and why it’s important to relinquish at least some control to other caregivers when raising a child.

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